Abandoned Ski lodge

                                                               Abandoned Ski Butler

 Decades ago, State funding was available so Kentucky could have its own Ski resort in Carrollton, and SKI BUTLER opened its doors in 1981 at General Butler State Park. At 25 acres it boasted 5 chair lifts and a 300 vertical drop.

 

 

 

 

  Ahhhhh  the 80's ,when Downhill skiing was Uber fashionable! However The resort being in the southeast still had trouble  maintaining snow on the slopes even with snow machines.Though state owned the resort struggled and a group of private investors tried to keep it going for awhile. Ski Butler finally gave up the ghost in winter of 1997-98.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indian Fort mountain

 

   
  Indian Fort Mountain also know as the pinnacles is in Madison County near Berea and is owned by  Berea College. It is 1,542 feet above sea level, Anyone attempting to climb Indian Fort Mountain and reach the summit should know they are in for a fairly steep walk .At 400 feet above the surface, and a 6.6 mile trail loop it is not for the out of shape crowd. There is a very interesting cliff dwelling there once used by Hopewell Indians who inhabited the area between 100 BC and 400 AD.

This is the ancient dwelling

 

 

"Hopewell" culture was discovered and categorized by Warren K. Moorehead after his excavations of Mounds and earthworks in southern Ohio .The Hopewell Indians may have used this place as a sacred site and also a look out for defense .However the Hopewell were mostly peaceful and produced great artwork and had a well organized society.

Spectacular view of Berea from the lookout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add caption

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly the ladies who hiked up with us were more interested in MP3 players than archeology

 





Lots of ravines and crevices are in the area.

 

Cecil Lawson Ph.D. Digs the great view from the Buzzard's roost .

 

Giant Louisville slugger and U.S.S. Louisville

   Rivaling Churchill downs as a Louisville Icon This Giant baseball bat stands outside the Louisville slugger factory, You can tour the factory and also can stand around the corner and look in through a large glass front and see them being made .If In town you have to go see it on West Maine street.

 

Right across the street is the Frazier History museum ,When I was there it was  still called the Frazier Arms museum ,Maybe they changed the name for political correct reasons unfortunately .If You are like me and like to look at Antique Guns and old suits of armor you will want to spend sometime in There.

 

 

 

Big USS Louisville Model on display .The ship hauled $148 million dollars of British gold from South Africa to the United States and earned 13 battle stars in WW2.

 

MURDERED tombstone

 My Dad showed me this Grave When I was a Kid and I never forgot about it .The grave site is surrounded by a block wall next to one other grave on the side of a country road in Bath County. Over Time it has been moved around inside the wall and apparently broken in half in the last 10 years or so .Fortunately It is still there as it makes for a very interesting photograph and Historical piece .

 

 

Elvin Wilson was killed Sept. 14, 1925 By ''Revenuers'' and apparently that did not sit well with his family when they had his headstone made.

 

 

 

 

MOST HAUNTED

 

 Touted as Kentucky's Most haunted cemetery and one of the most haunted in the U.S for that matter, Polksville Cemetery In Salt Lick certainly does live up to its rep. In the past It has always been a good place for guys to take girls to get them all scared up, but The fear and the frenzy reached a fever pitch in 2007.Car loads of legend trippers and Paranormal investigators made continuous visits to the place.I went with the Sheriffs department during that year after they were getting calls concerning a mysterious non corporeal dark shape that was seen there and at nearby Jones Cemetery . I still hear of people seeing weird lights there ,glowing orbs and such of the sort .

 

 

 

 

The Author poses with a headstone from the late 1800,s.

 

 

 I have never seen full on anything spectacular but Most who go there including myself get immediately hit with the extra creepy ambiance .This 2012 investigation did yield interesting digital pics.

 

 

Loose Headstone dating 1889

Small orb

 

 

Weird mist started to appear not visible to naked eye

 

The Same spot a few frames later ,White slash like object in upper left corner absolutely was not identified .

 

 

Cecil Lawson Ph.D. Looking skeptical but look! a small orb just above his head. 

 

Abandoned Observatory

  In My wanderings around Towns I will always find something interesting . Smith Park Observatory in Richmond was used up until the 70's By astronomers at EKU. Eventually it became useless from the growing University and enlargement of the town itself as the cities night lights became to bright .Although there is a marker explaining its history it Now sits virtually abandoned on a corner on  the edge of campus .

 

 

Mystery Object ?

Saw this Item in antique Shop in Paris ,Ky and I asked the owner what it was.He said that pretty much everyone who walks in asked  about it .As it turns out neither he or anyone who has ever seen it knows exactly what it is.

The thing resembles a Bomb of some sort but is made of solid brass.

The Big Bull

 

 

In Wellington Ky Hwy 1274 there is a giant statue of a Black Bull placed as a sign for

 THE BULL - Food & Fuel Bait & Tackle . The Emphasis is on the FOOD as They also have a Great Deli .

 

             My Dad did not believe me when I told him there was a Big Bull near Frenchburg .This 
            settles that argument.

The Bull was once part of BLUEGRASS RESTAURANTS on New Circle Road in Lexington in the 70's.

WELCOME TO THE KENTUCKY FILES.

Explorations in Kentucky's Lost History,Roadside Curiosities, Uncanny News ,Ancient Archaeological Sites,The unexplained, Abandoned  and Creepy places. Join me as I travel and explore The Bluegrass state and surrounding areas .

The Ghosts Of Butcher Holler

                                                            The Author at Butcher holler


I hate to break it to many of you but you have to face the fact even if you were born in KY you are not completely a Kentuckian until you have been to Butcher Holler.My old Pal Cecil Lawson and I made the pilgrimage in 2013 .Lynn was raised in Van Lear, Kentucky, a mining community .

GETTING THERE  -Drive past the Coal mining museum in Van Lear ,There are a few signs that guide you to the Webb Cabin where Loretta Spent her childhood .

The Coal mining museum  

 

 

THE ROAD TO BUTCHER HOLLER

 

 

You definitely will want to stop at the Webb Grocery which was once the Coal mining

''Company store''  

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Loretta's Parents  -

Melvin "Ted" Webb      -      Clara Marie (Ramey) Webb 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARRIVING  - You really don't have to make an appointment but it does not hurt to call ahead.Most days you just drive up to the cabin at the very end of the road,Wait on the porch until the next tour begins .It is about 10 Dollars per person. 

 

 

  

 

The Inside is now filled with memorabilia But You can see the that Cabin Built for the Movie in COAL MINERS DAUGHTER  [which was filmed in Whitesburg KY instead] was a dead ringer for the real thing.Not Sure what happened to that set which was built specifically for the movie but there is also another Replica cabin in Hurricane Mills in TN .

Herman Webb Loretta's Brother Gives the Cabin tour pretty much every day . 

 

 

 

 

The View from the cabin [ back in the 40's there were no electric lines ]

 

 

The Homestead is  rumored to be haunted ,Lynn has stated in the past she saw ''People who had passed on ''  when she was a child .I personally did not get any vibes while down there,but Herman stated he only ever saw Ghosts at the Webb Grocery just up the road .

 

We took a tour of the Coal mining museum afterwards which I recommend while you are in Van Lear .There are not a whole lot of working mines left in this area actually so it is interesting to see the History in Pictures and actual Mining paraphernalia .

 

A hand cranked air pump